The cold war and the political-economic situation in Cuba
Introduction
The 1962 missile crisis in Cuba is considered the most dangerous event of the cold war.communiqués and even confrontations in diplomatic forums will be exchanged.
The origin of this period of great tension and uncertainty is due to the discovery of the United States of the installation of a military base in Cuba by the Soviet Union in which there were medium -range missiles with nuclear capacity, Massot (2012) considered thatin this period. North American authorities as much as the Soviet did not rule out the possibility of using their nuclear arsenal to settle the lawsuit in which they were engaged.
Developing
Cuba since its independence in 1998 was dominated by the United States, with the Treaty of Paris, Spain renounced its sovereignty about Cuba, but this only meant the already possible intervention of the United States. With the arrival of Fidel Castro to thanks to the Cuban revolution in 1959, Cuba’s relationship with the United States was affected, this since the period of, the United States came to intervene so that it would not be achieved, preventing the supply of weaponsto the rebel army and armament as training to the Fulgencio Batista army.
Diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba deteriorated, previously US investments were of great importance in Cuba, development in sugar and tobacco production together with tourism created an economic dependence on the United States. With Fidel Castro in power, he decreed the first Agrarian Reform Law of Cuba and May 17, 1959, this law gave rise to exports of the large agricultural properties belonging to Americans, the land was given to those who worked as a measure againstLatifundism and imperialist domain.
The United States as a measure against nationalism in Cuba decides to apply an embargo, reduced the quota of sugar and medicine, in 1960, but by the beginning of 1962 the blockade was hardly total, this tried to close and incommunicate the island with the island with the island with the island with the island with the islandexterior in order to achieve their surrender due to lack of resources.
After problems such as American blockade, the Soviet Union establishes diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1959, the USSR agreed to buy products such as sugar replacing the Cuba trade, a market dependence and military aid was generated by becoming an ally of this duringThe Cold War, Rodríguez considers this relationship as. A factor of notable importance that intens Cuba to survive and undertake the long path of socialist transformations was the economic, financial and technological collaboration received from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and other socialist countries.
By 1961, the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, seeing the new political and economic relations of the island, decides together with the US government to generate a plan whose main objective was to dismantle the government and revolution of Fidel Castro, the motivation was generated by the fear and problem of having near the Soviet block. On April 17, 1961, invasion to Cuba was decided from the sea by Bay of Cochinos, 1.500 Cuban exiles trained and financed by the CIA.
The lack of geographical knowledge by the American troops and Castro’s knowledge about the areas, managed that, in less than 72 hours, the United States were defeated. He tried to invasion further the relations between the two countries, strengthening the dependence of Cuba towards the Soviet Union and promoting the event of the missile crisis.
The missile crisis in 1962
In April 1962, President Krushchev recognized the great American weaponThe purpose of balancing that gap, in addition to protecting the strategic territory that represented in the Cold War, Massot, it is not possible to distinguish the clear objective of the USSR. As a result of the Soviet archives open to the public and of the known oral testimonies, the matter has not been clear.
On May 20, Khrushchev with Gromyko, Mikoyan, Kozlov and Aleksandr Alekseev (ambassador to Havana) made the decision to send an advance to Cuba to inform Castro about the plan, the Ministry of Defense was ordered to implement the measures withThe purpose of moving troops and installing the R-12 and R-14 missiles, both whose scope was 1.050 mile. As for the Soviet Navy, it would be installed in a naval base for submarines to which it would be built with the intention of maintaining control over the United States.
The plan forged by Khrushchev was more by instinct than by calculation, he thought that the United States would try another attack on the bay of pigs, guided by emotions and tension, caused the zero will to carefully take care of the camouflage of the missiles, but according toThe greatest general to.A. Dementiev, it was almost impossible.
The head of the CIA, John Mc Cone, on August 10, hinted at a possible plan of the Russians, where a military base with mischiefs located in Cuba was possibly developed, but the Kennedy intelligence and government community believed it possible. The CIA owned exile reports, of its agents on the island and photography of the possible base.
It is not until October 14 when the suspicions were increasing, directed by the CIA, a U-2 spy plane of the American Air Force survived part of Cuba, it was the mission of the Air Strategic Command. The greatest Rudolf Anderson JR. He was the pilot in charge of making a photographic recognition flight over the San Cristóbal area.
On October 15, the National Photographic Interpretation Center in Washington analyzed the photos of the U-2, these photos provided the first official evidence of the Soviet creation, where they prepared the missile site, the senior US government officials are informed ofThese photographs and discoveries, but the National Security Minister, at that time McGeorge Bundy considers to wait another day to inform John Kennedy.
The photographs caused surprises and stupor to the senior officials, Molla, L., & Pasamontes, JC (SF), was so much the uncertainty that “the presence of technicians, with their maps and pointers, was necessary to clarify what was seen in them. This same day an increase in covert activities on the island is decided with the aim of better defining the situation and being aware of every moment of the situation, this operation was orchestrated by the increased special group (SGA) which its main functionIt was always the overthrow of Fidel Castro.
On October 16, Kennedy is informed by his national security advisor, McGeorge Bundy, Dean Rusk, and Robert McNamara, first the president, had believed that this theory about the Soviet position in Cuba was an electoral invention of the Republicans,Dog when informed, on that same day Kennedy forms the exomm (Executive Committee of the National Security Council).
The exomm meets to discuss the main options, Kennedy reached several plans, an air attack against each missile point in Cuba, a possible invasion with 250,000 men, a general attack with 2.000 massive bombings or a total blockade to Cuba, under that meeting they bowed to the first option, but it was McNamara who most raised doubts for each option that was going to arise, the effectiveness that could be achieved with each attack was doubted, thanks to this, The United States remained still in line with action.
The exomm also analyzed the possible responses and reaction of the Soviet Union, Krushchev had reiterated that the activity in Cuba arose as a defense mode for the island and a half to confront the military bases established in Turkey and Italy, the base in preparation byThe USSR was constantly compared to the Turkish base.
Three days after the first photographs, the 17 is sent another flight with alarming results, launch platforms had been located for intermediate range in Guanajuay, the threat arch had increased 1.850 kilometers more on the territory, the tension within the US government was greater. The photos showed the existence of 16 to 32 facilities that could be in use within a period of one week.
The CIA with the information, calculated that these missiles had a potential of approximately half of a current type ICBM, Molla, L., & Pasamontes, J. C. (s.F.) As the photographs indicated. It was concluded that if they were shot, eighty million Americans would die.
conclusion
The UN conflict was already visible, the US ambassador.UU., Adlai Stevenson considers dialogue to reach a negotiation with Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev. Meanwhile, within the US government, McNamara proposes the blockade to the island, but receives criticism and rejections before his idea, the blockade would not solve the problem of the bases, and feared in response a blockade in Germany.
On October 18, President Kennedy Sene reaus with the Soviet ForeignIsland, the attempt of American invasion left no alternative than contributing to help, Kennedy decides not to publicize his knowledge about missiles to avoid confrontation. Later the exomm meets, the group is still divided by the idea of a blockade and also its intelligence services informs them that these missiles could be launched in 18 hours or less.
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